1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protection of horse hooves from damage incurred during normal or heavy use. More particularly, the present invention relates to hoofwear which prevents continuing damage to horse hooves, allows or facilitates natural repair of damaged hooves, and increases circulation in the hoof and leg area.
2. Description of Related Art
A horse hoof is a curved covering of horn that encloses the ends of the digits of horses and corresponds to a nail or claw of other animals. The hoof is made of a horny wall having a toe at the front, side walls at the sides, and quarters and buttresses toward the rear. The rearmost portion of the hoof has two opposing areas called the bulbs which abut the buttresses. Two opposing extensions of the buttresses called bars project toward the center of the sole of the hoof and are located adjacent the frog. The frog is a triangular shaped elastic horny pad having a base which is attached to the sole by a layer known as the white line. The horny wall protects the relatively soft sole and frog by growing and extending down past the sole and frog such that the wall contacts the surface on which the horse moves and bears most of the impact of a horse's step. The horny wall grows in much the same way as a human finger or toe nail, i.e., it grows lengthwise and toward the end of the digit. The horny wall grows downwardly from an area above the hoof called the coronet. The coronet is located at the lower part of a horse's pastern where the horn terminates in skin.
When the horse walks, trots or gallops on a barefoot hoof, the frog and bar help to distribute and moderate the shock of impacting the ground. When the horse walks, the sidewalls contract and expand on contact with the ground. The temporary change in shape causes the frog to help circulate blood in the horses hoof and leg. Horses typically carry approximately 60% of their weight (which can be 1,100 pounds) on their front legs. Ideally, a horse would land squarely on its hooves as it moves. However, most horses do not ordinarily land squarely on their hooves which can result in uneven wearing and ultimately in problems such as lameness. This effect is magnified on hard surfaces such as cement and the like. The most common problems tend to develop in the area of the frog. When stressed, the frog compresses, grows unevenly, and can even grow in on itself in much the same manner as an ingrown toenail. Moreover, the horn can deteriorate, crack and press on sensitive parts of the hoof, thus causing significant pain. Cracking of the horn is even more of a problem in arid climates because hooves normally absorb moisture from the ground where they step. Dew and rain are absorbed which keeps the frog, sole, and horn supple and growing. Lack of moisture contributes to brittleness of the horn and increases the possibility of hoof damage.
As a result of these well recognized problems, numerous attempts have been made to alleviate uneven wear and protect the hoof. A well known solution is the metal horseshoe which is nailed onto the hoof. Unfortunately the metal horseshoe is far from an ideal solution. The metal horseshoe keeps the sole and frog from contacting the ground, but does not permit fluctuation of the horn and stimulation of the frog. Consequently, circulation is not augmented by pumping in the hoof which may lead to problems in normal growth and repair. Since the shoes are nailed on with nails that forcibly pierce the horn, cracking or breaking of the horn may result. Moreover, all the stress of walking or galloping is concentrated on the horn directly above the shoe instead of being distributed to the frog and the rest of the sole.
Certain attempts to protect horse hooves have focused on protecting and/or stimulating the frog. One commercially available product is called the Lily-Pad.TM., available from Therapeutic Equine (Indianapolis, Ind.). The Lily-Pad.TM. is a one piece unit made from high density molded rubber which is placed over the frog, bulbs and heel of the hoof and up to the pastern. It is attached with self-adhering tape. The Lily-Pad.TM. is illustrated in FIG. 1. Unfortunately, the Lily-Pad.TM. is not free from problems. The use of tape to attach or mount the Lily-Pad.TM. is time consuming and expensive and, because the tape contacts the ground, it wears away and must frequently be replaced. In order to insure proper stability of the Lily-Pad.TM., the tape must be applied high up on the pastern which may cause damage to the bone. Most importantly, the Lily-Pad.TM. invariably moves away from its preferred position and around the sole of the hoof as the horse walks despite the prescribed taping. The Lily-Pad.TM. then actually creates excessive pressure in areas it was not designed to abut causing further discomfort and/or damage to the hoof.
A horseshoe for trotting horses is described in PCT Pub. No. WO 88/00793 and includes a thin plate member of resiliently bendable plastic on which there are two thickened areas, i.e., an outer arched area along the front half of the shoe and a rear triangular area. The arched area is held nailed into the rim of the hoof and the triangular area covers the frog. The triangular area is said to be able to effect blood pumping relative movements. Unfortunately, the same problems associated with nailing this horseshoe into the hoof exist as with a conventional metal horseshoe. Moreover, the horn rests on the disc which then presses up against the bulbs, heel and collateral cartridge areas, creating pressure at the precise points that it is supposed to be designed to alleviate.
Consequently, there is a clear need for horse hoofwear that is effective in preventing uneven hoof wearing, promoting circulation, easy to use, efficient and relatively inexpensive. The present invention is directed to such a solution.